Air-motor



D. L. HOWE.

AIR MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 24.19l8.

Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- al tozneq 0. L. HOWE.

AIR MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1918.

1,342,81 1 Patented June 8, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

gnuzhfoc O. LJ/Owe PATENT OFFICE.

oft-Ar L. Howe, or MISSOULA, MONTANA.

AIR-MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed January 24, 1918. Serial No. 213,554.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLAF L. HOWE, a citizen of the United States, of Missoula, in the county of Mis'soula and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful I1n provements in Air-Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertain's to make and use the same.

In the art of self governing air motors it is customary to have a rotary vane so mounted that it may shift bodily relative to the direct course of the wind to vary its area of resistance and consequently render its speed of rotation uniform. This shifting of the vane has heretofore been accom plished by automatically changing the plane of the rudder relative to the direction of the wind.

, By my invention instead of shifting a vane in this manner I provide. a vane surface tending to shift on its fulcrum under the action of excessive wind velocity and retarded from this shifting by the action of a weight or its equivalent, the rudder remaining always parallel to the wind.

I preferably employ a vane carrier in the form of a frame and equipped with a number of rotary vanes. This carrier is mounted on a tower track to swing freely in a horizontal plane and its fulcrum is to one side of its center, that is, it extends at one side to a greater length from the fulcrum than at the other. The rudder is always parallel with the wind when the motor is operative. A weight normally holds the carrier head on to the wind, but when the wind velocity overcomes the weight the carrier, owing to its unbalanced areas, shifts to lessen the area of resistance offered by its vanes. When the velocity diminishes the carrier returns toward its normal position.

I also make provision for rendering the motor inoperative.

Figure 1 is a plan view, the full lines showing'the normal positions of the parts while the dotted lines indicate the vane carrier shifted. Fig. 2 is a detail of the weights and means for manual operation. Fig. 3 is a slight modification. Figs. 4 and 5 details.

The tower 1 is provided with the usual circular track 2. 3 is the vane carrier havmg rollers 4 engaging the upper and lower surface of the track as in Fig. 4.

The vane carrier comprises a frame having preferably two series of vanes as in Fig. 5 mounted to rotate in the usual way and to transmit the power they create to sprocket chains 5 operating a shaft 6. As shown in Fig. 1 the vane carrier extends to a greater length to the left of the track than to the right and has a greater number of vanes in its longer portion. Consequently with the wind blowing in the direction of the dart a the tendency is to turn the carrier toward the dotted line position. To overcome this tendency within normal limits I employ a weight 7 shown suspended from the extremity of the short end 8 of the vane carrier by a cable 9 which is secured as at 9 to a frame 15 forming part of the rudder. lVhen the velocity of the wind overcomes the weight the carrier swings.

A feature of my present invention resides in the rudder. I have shown a center rudder 10 and I have also shown a rudder 12 at the extremity of the longer side of the vane carrier. Either or both of these rudders may be used. Assuming only the center rudder is used, it has a roller 13 movable on the track 2. It is fulcrumed to the vane carrier at 1 1. The cable 9 passes over a sheave 16 on the carrier and is secured to the frame 15 which forms part of the rudder. This tends to hold the rudder in right angular disposition to the vane carrier, but when the carrier shifts and the weight is lifted by the increased velocity of the wind, the rudder will maintain itself parallel to the direction of the wind. This insures uniformity of speed of rotation of the vanes as it keeps them in the wind al though in a slanting line proportionately to the extent to which the increased velocity has overcome the weight.

It is necessary to render the motor inoperative. For this purpose I have shown the rudder 10 having a cable 17 passed over a sheave 18 on the vane carrier. This cable. as shown in Fig. 2, is passed over stationary sheaves 20, 21 adjacent the axis of the vane carrier and an intermediate swiveled sheave 20 and is fast to the weight 7. The cable 2O extends from the swiveled sheave 20 and is wound upon a Windlass 19 which may be operated to swing the rudder to the left into alinement with the carrier, the swivel sheave avoiding twisting the cable. This operation of the Windlass elevatesthe weight 7 and renders the carrier free to swing out of the wind. I

The rudder 12 may be employed alone or as complementary to center rudder 10. As shown the carrier is made with a quadrant 22 in the center of which the rudder 12 is fulcrumed, its extension 28 projecting beyond the fulcrum. The rudder has a tubular portion 24 inclosing the curved arm of the quadrant. When the rudder is in the full line position it is operative to maintain the carrier in the wind; when swung to the dotted line position it is ineffective and swings with the carrier. The quadrant has an arm 25 in the extremity of which is a sheave 26. It also has a sheave 27. The carrier is shown with two sheaves 28, 29. A cable 80 connected with the cable 9 which, with weight 7, maintains the carrier in the wind, is passed over sheave 29 and secured to the rudder. A cable 31 is connected with cable 17, by which rudder 10 is rendered inoperative and passes over sheaves 28, 27 and 26, and swings the rudder 12 into inoperative position. Thus the same weight apparatus may operate both rudders and if center rudder 10 is dispensed with, the cables mentioned may be connected direct to rud der 12.

The essential idea of my invention is embodied in the modified form of Fig. 3. Here I have shown a single vane 35. Its carrier is fulcrumed at 36. The spindle 3'? on which the vane is mounted is to the left of the fulcrum. The weight 88 has a cable 39 passed over sheaves 40, 41, on the carrier and connected to the rudder 42. The dotted lines A show the positions assumed by the carrier, and dottedline B shows the rudder inoperative under the action of the weight and cable 48.

I claim as my invention:

1. In'an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a retary vane on said carrier tending, under the force of wind pressure to swing said carrier, a rudder always parallel to the wind, and means connected to said carrier and said rudder tending through the instrumentality of said rudder to maintain said carrier and vane head on to the wind, said connection permitting relative movement between said carrier and said rudden 2. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier adapted for movement in a horizontal plane, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier eX- tending to each side of its pivot, the vane surface at one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other. a rudder always parallel to the wind, and means connected to said carrier and said rudder tending to maintain said carrier head on to the wind, said connection permitting relative movement between said carrier and said rudder.

3. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier extending to each side of its pivot the vane surface at one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other, a rudder fulcrumed to said carrier at its pivot and always parallel to the wind, and means connected to said carrier and said rudder tending to maintain said carrier head on to the wind, said connection permitting relative movement between said carrier and said rudder.

4. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier extend ing to each side of its pivot, the vane surface one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other, meanstending to maintain said carrier head on to the wind, and a rudder fulcrumed to said carrier at the extremity of its longer side, and always parallel to the wind.

5. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier extending to each side of its pivot, the vane surface at one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other, a rudder fulcrumed to the carrier and free to assume a position parallel to the wind, means automatically tending to maintain said carrier in operative position relative to said rudder, and means for rendering said last mentioned means ineffective.

6. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier extending to each side of its pivot, the vane surface at one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other, a rudder always parallel to the wind, a weight suspended from the carrier, and a cable connected to the weight and the rudder.

7. In an air motor, a pivoted carrier, a series of rotary vanes on said carrier extending to each side of its pivot, thevane surface at one side of said pivot being greater than that at the other, a rudder always parallel to the wind and angularly disposed relatively to said carrier in the normal operation of said motor, a weight suspended from the carrier, a cable connected to the weight and to the rudder, and means for raising said weight and drawing said carrier and rudder into parallelism.

In testimony whereof,

specification.

OLAF L. HOWE.

I have signed this 

